Evangelion: When the ship hits the fan
by Jerricom
Summary: This is a story I'm writing for an OTP challenge. Each chapter is one challenge, you'll get the idea of each in the title. The Mari/Rei crossover is (loosely) based on the EVA story I'm currently working on, but anyone who ship them should feel at home here!
1. Ch1 The Selfie

**Evangelion: When the ship hits the fan**

 **Chapter 1: The selfie**

The LCL drains, amber fluid depleting from the large glass tank within which she's suspended. Once empty it opens and she steps out, reaching for the towel sitting on the floor next to a neatly folded school uniform and her plugsuit. While she dries her thick, short-cut hair she thinks about whether she should put on the school uniform or the plugsuit. It's technically proper to put on the suit, but it was only a few days since the last Angel attacked, there shouldn't be another for at least a week. She nods to herself.

This far underground it's warm and cozy, so Rei doesn't immediately get dressed, she prefers to do so during the elevator ride up. She knows there's a camera there, but it doesn't concern her. She starts the self-cleaning routine on a console next to the tank so the pipes don't clog: Rei knows they won't, LCL doesn't work like that with inanimate matter, but the technicians get antsy if she doesn't. Then she gathers her things and heads towards a single red light blinking a few feet above head height, the single definite point in the otherwise dark interior of the chamber, indicating where the elevator entrance is.

– –

– –

The silence in the elevator is defeaning. Asuka stands in front of the doors, her back firmly turned to everything inside it, including Mari. She stands leaning against a wall in as relaxed a stance as she can manage, just waiting out the ride in thin-lipped silence. She sends a subtle glare Asuka's way but says nothing.

Then the doors open and Asuka moves to stomp out and free herself from Mari's presence. but stops promptly at who's standing on the other side. "Hmpf," Asuka says, staring into Rei's blood-red albino eyes, "For being the Commander's pet, you sure seem to have a lot of free time on your hands."

"You're not helping anyone," Rei replies, monotone as usual, her voice carrying only the faintest hint of irritation which is a feat by itself, "You act like a child. Even Shinji is more mature than you."

"Yes, clearly Wonder Child has me beat in every category!" Asuka growls with disgust and brushes past Rei, dissapearing around a corner. Rei looks after her for a moment, and then steps into the elevator where Mari stands waiting and the ride continues up. She takes Rei's hand in her own, saying "You shouldn't engage her, sweetheart. You saw, it only makes her more mad." Rei blinks and thoughtfully looks aside, "But if I do nothing, she will just grow more bitter."

"Forget about her!" Mari says with a smile and throws her arms around Rei, "She can hate me all she want. I might even have cared if I didn't have your around." Mari separates herself enough to look into Rei's eyes, "Not to beat a dead horse, but I hope you know how precious you are to me, Rei." The blue-haired girl opposite Mari blinks, and a small smile breaks out on her lips, "It _is_ nice to hear you say that _._ Not because I forget, but it feels good."

Mari smiles as well and strokes Rei's arm affectionately, "Well I could say it again. " The elevator comes to a halt and opens into a featureless metal corridor. "I was gonna' catch a cup of coffe before I leave for school. Wanna come?"

Rei nods, and the two are off to the left. "You've been doing synch tests?" she says as they walk. Mari nods, "Yeah, just a short one, you know how anxious they are the days after Angel attacks. Considering how hard the last one crumped Unit-01 I can't blame 'em."

They take a right and enter a small café, dimly lit and whose far wall is taken up entirely by a window. Below them you can see the GeoFront, the floodligt illuminating the NERV pyramid, and the yellow lines running up and down the walls of the giant cavern like lights on a christmas tree. "Oh, that reminds me!" Mari bursts suddenly, "I need you to volunteer for a thing, Rei."

Rei raises an eyebrow in an absolutely dazzling display of suspicion, "What for?"

"Well," Mari fishes her phone up from her bra as she speaks, "I want to show you off to a friend of mine. Across the pond, y'know, in England. C'mere," she says and tugs gently on Rei's arm. When Rei doesn't budge Mari's shoulder slump and she looks at Rei despondently, "Come on, Rei. They wanna' see my new girlfriend, and you're nowhere to be found on social media. It's just a selfie with me."

"Selfie?"

Mari looks at Rei over the rim of her glasses, "...You don't know what that is?"

"Should I?" she replies.

"A photo portrait, you could call it, it's not a big deal. I just want to show them what you look like." She tilts her head sideways a little, her tone sincere, "Do you have a problem with that?"

Rei blinks, "Well, no, I just don't see the point." She looks down for a moment, thinking. When she looks up again she says, "But, if it makes you happy then sure, I can volunteer." She smiles and Mari shines up, and practically hops up next to Rei to raises her phone up. A few pictures later and she lowers the phone to inspect her handiwork. Rei manages to put on a little smile in one of them, so that will probably have to do. "Y'know," Mari says while looking the pictures over, "You don't have to do shit just because it makes _me_ happy, I havn't taken your free will from you."

"Mari," Rei says, "You know I think that actions speak much louder than words. If there is something I can _do_ something that makes you happy..." She takes one of Mari's hands, holding it close to her chest, smiling, "Then I will always try."

 **The End.**


	2. Ch2 A milkshake together

**Evangelion: When the ship hits the fan**

 **Chapter 2: A milkshake together**

School is done for the day. Asuka stands over by Shinji's desk arguing with him about something, with Toji sitting next desk over and laughing at them, calling them _married couple_ , much to Asuka's umbrage and Shinji's embarassment. Mari shakes her head and can't help but chuckle, herself. She's since long resigned herself to not try and understand how those two havn't yet strangled each other.

In the corner of her eye she notices Rei getting up from her chair by the window and coming over. Mari quickly packs her books down in her backpack and rises with a smile, taking Rei by the hand, "Let's go. What'cha wanna' do? Chill at Misato's? Grab a snack somewhere?"

"Something cold, perhaps," Rei says in her usual thin, monotone voice, "It's been hot these last few days."

"Sheesh, you can say that again..." Mari snickers and pulls a little on the collar of her top for emphasis as they exit the classroom, "How about ice cream, or.. Milk shake?"

"I don't mind either."

Mari sighs, but her smile persists, "And here they tease me that _you're_ the man in our relationship."

"What does that have to do with anything?" Rei asks, a very light frown creasing her forehead.

"Never mind, sweetheart, I'll arbitrate this one. We're going for a milkshake."

They leave the school, strolling down the sidewalk in the heat of the perpetual summer Japan has found itself in since Second impact. In the distance, looking down towards the city core of Tokyo-3 Mari can see the vast arrays of solar panels on top of all the city's tallets buildings as they slowly swivel to new optimal positions, as they're scheduled to do once every three hours. One of the mountains in the far distance beyond the city is missing the peak, as it was reduced to a crater when the last Angel attacked two weeks ago. Mari hums to herself, "D'you think it's long before the next attack comes, Rei?"

"They're unpredictable, there's no telling. For all we know, one might be inside Dogma this very moment." Rei gently squeezes Mari's hand, "Are you concerned?"

Mari just shrugs, turning to look into Rei's crimson eyes with her own bright brown ones, "Honestly, all the waiting between encounters makes me antsy. I want action."

They arrive at a bridge crossing a small river next to which sits a stand selling, amongst other things, milkshake. While Rei, being faster to fish up her wallet, pays Mari takes another look at the demolished peak in the distance, thinking. Once Rei comes over with the large cup of milkshake Mari says "You must think I'm crazy, waiting for the next fight instead of fretting over it like Shinji."

Rei helps herself to the milkshake before answering the question. "Well, I don't see why you would be expectant. Fighting an Angel is deadly. Being afraid like Shinji is obviously no use when we _have_ to pilot the Evangelions, but..."

"But what, sweetheart?" Mari chirps as she strolls down to the fence that goes along the edge of the little plaza next to the road. She glances down into the running water below the bridge for a moment before leaning back against the fence, towards Rei who's come with her. Rei looks at Mari for a moment, betraying no emotion, and finally says "I don't want you to look forward to combat because you think you'll come out of it without being hurt."

"Being hurt comes with the job," Mari says and reaches for the milkshake.

"You're not invincible, Mari," Rei replies as she gives the cup over. "I think that slips from your mind in combat, even in exercises. I see it in how you fight the simulations."

"Have I ever lost against the simulations?"

"Yes," Rei states, causing Mari to choke on the milkshake, "Wha- Oh, I suppose you were watching when I, uh, tested Unit-03's new assault rifle?"

"Yes," Rei repeats, "You lost both Unit-03's arms and had to eject."

"Lucky thing I got to try it out in a safe enviroment then, huh?" Mari says with a wink, sipping afterward on the milkshake. Rei looks down at the ground in front of her feet, seeming uncertain for a moment before speaking, "Do you not have anyone back home who would be sad if you were hurt?"

Mari opens and closes her mouth a couple of times before answering, "Well yes, technically, but no one of them knows what I do here so they wouldn't know I'd gotten hurt. You know us pilots gotta' keep a tight lid on stuff like that outside NERV."

"So you've never had to consider it, then."

Mari looks at Rei in confusion for a moment, and then realisation dawns on her. She lowers the milkshake, lips tight, "I, ehm... I guess I-I figured you wouldn't think about it, since we're both in the same boat. But no, I never had to think about it before... A-and my mindset going into NERV was that I'd just give it my all and..."

"Go down in a blaze of glory?" Rei finishes, not with a sharp or cold undertone but more as a flat statement. "I understand that. But please, Mari, you have me here now. We carry the burden of fighting the Angels together, but you must be more responsible. It's my funeral to go to, you know."

Mari blinks, and only tentatively does she look up to meet Rei's gaze. She feels a knotin her stomach, "Rei, I'm sorry, i-if..."

"No, don't," Rei says and steps in closer to Mari, "I'm not accusing you of anything, love. I'm just trying to help."

Mari exhales shakily and chuckles, "Oh Rei, this is why I love you. This wouldn't work if you wern't so blunt with my failings, though I wish you were easier to read." She reaches up to touch Rei's cheek, and the blue-hair replies that "And it wouldn't work if you never acknowledged your failings, either, but here we are." Mari smirks at that and nods. She leans closer to Rei and pecks her on the lips, the milkshake forgotten in her hand.

A pair of military jets pass overhead, dragging contrails behind them as they dissapear into the setting sun.

 **The End.**


End file.
